Over the last thirty years, our slip and fall injury lawyers have handled hundreds of slip and fall personal injury cases. We’ve seen many different injuries as a result of these falls on the job or on another’s property. While the injuries can vary from minor to serious, there are some injuries that we regularly see that are more common than others. Here are some common slip and fall injuries we’ve seen recently:
1) Fractures and Broken Bones of the Legs and Ankles
Many times, when people slip on a slippery surface such as ice or liquid on a floor, they fall quickly, putting serious stress on their lower extremities. This type of movement often leads to broken bones in the tibia or fibula. These are two bones that are often broken at the same time near the bottom of the leg. The tibia is sometimes called the shinbone and the fibula is the smaller of the two bones. These types of leg injuries are often fixed by procedures such as Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF), Closed Reduction and Internal Fixation, External Fixation or Ankle Arthroscopies.
2) Injuries to the Shoulder and Upper Arm
When people fall and put out their arms to brace themselves, they often end up falling onto their outstretched arm or directly onto their shoulder. These types of slip and fall injuries can result in fractures to various bones such as fracture to the clavicle (collarbone), humerus (upper arm bone) or scapula (shoulder blade).
Broken bones aren’t the only slip and fall injuries that can happen to the arm or shoulder. Other injuries can occur to the acromioclavicular joint. The joint, also known as the AC joint, connects the collarbone to the shoulder blade. Injuries from a fall can result in a separation or sprain of the joint, causing pain and swelling.
Other common injuries from a fall include those to the rotator cuff, which stabilizes and supports the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff includes four main muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Sometimes the biceps tendon is also injured when there is a rotator or labral tear. These types of shoulder injuries are often fixed by open surgical repairs or arthroscopic repairs. In an arthroscopic repair, a surgeon will make small incisions and use a tiny camera known as an arthroscope to visualize the inside of the shoulder. After the area and type of injury is determined, the doctor will use specialized tools through the small incisions to fix the injured part of the shoulder.
3) Injuries to the Back
Many times people fall onto their back or tailbone when they fall on a dangerous and slick substance. Common slip and fall injuries to the back include sprains and strains, fractures, contusions and herniated discs. These types of injuries can cause muscular pain and even pain, numbness or weakness into the lower extremities. The treatment for these back injuries can vary from physical therapy, pain management or even surgery. Surgical procedures to fix back injuries include spinal fusions, discectomies, laminectomies or a spinal disc replacement.
4) Head Injuries
Sometimes people end up hitting their head in a slip and fall case. Various types of slip and fall head injuries including concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can occur. When someone sustains a head injury, he or she may receive treatment in the form of surgery to remove pressure on the brain, vestibular therapy or medication such as muscle relaxers, beta blockers, anticonvulsants or anti-nausea medication.
Connect with Our Slip and Fall Injury Lawyers
Slip and fall injuries happen in many ways every day, and our legal team is ready to help you move forward after your injury. Slip and fall injuries often require a long recovery time, which may result in lost wages, time away from work or the inability to do daily tasks. Whether you experienced minor head trauma while slipping on ice or a long-term catastrophic injury from a workplace fall, our lawyers will help you determine the status of your case and gather the evidence necessary to win your case. Contact our team of slip and fall injury lawyers to get started today.